Admin Annie, Author at Welcome to Unemploymentville

Things to See and Do in Unemploymentville: Reinforce Your Grit

May 4, 2016 Admin Annie Comments 0 Comment

One of the toughest things about looking for a job is dealing with rejection, whether it comes in the form of a form letter, “Thanks for your interest, however….” or having a job application ignored, or seeing someone else chosen for a job that you interviewed for. Sometimes the fear of rejection or anticipating rejection can keep people from exploring new options. If you can relate, then you should watch the very funny story of 100 Days of Rejection. Jia…

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Things to See and Do in Unemploymentville: Listen to Music and Dance

April 26, 2016 Admin Annie Comments 0 Comment

Music can change my mood faster than almost anything. The music I choose depends on whether I am seeking a) a more peaceful feeling b) to brighten a sour mood c) to energize myself d) find my fighting spirit e) all of the above I still have a Playlist I created for “the final day”. Since we were given advance notice of our impending layoff, there was the day we were to come in, collect any final belongings and have…

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What’s Wrong with Anne’s Face?

April 6, 2016 Admin Annie Comments 1 comment

What’s wrong with Anne’s face in this drawing? I was unemployed, that’s what. My eyes show that I’ve been left behind by the rest of the world and I’m pretty damn broken up about it. My mouth isn’t even able to find the center of my face. Because…. nothing in my life was lining up like it was supposed to. Not even the features on my face. I’ve got such a puny neck that it’s no wonder it was difficult…

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Definition of Unemployment: the State of being without a job when you want one

Unemploymentville Gossip: Where have I been hiding? And why am I back??

April 6, 2016 Admin Annie Comments 0 Comment

So you haven’t seen or heard much from me recently. Why is that? The truth is I have a job now and I was working a lot of extra hours. Is that rude? When people who are working too many hours complain about it to someone who is unemployed? What do you think? It kind of feels like it’s rude to me, but yet… NOT talking about what is going on in your life because your friend has a…

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Unemployment Stories: Can You Recover from Months or Years of Unemployment?

May 22, 2015 Admin Annie Comments 0 Comment

This post is the first of what I hope will become a series, checking back in on folks who once felt stuck in unemployment and despaired of ever getting out among the working again. These stories are unlikely to consist of tales where everyone lived happily ever after. Still I think there is a value to being able to fast forward from someone’s time being unemployed to see what happened. It gives us a chance to see someone’s “future” when…

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5 Tips for Dealing with Rejection While Job Hunting

May 12, 2015 Admin Annie Comments 0 Comment

1) Out with Bad Feelings If you hoped to get a job and you didn’t there are bound to be some bad feelings hanging out at your house, whether they are disappointment, anger, sadness or shock. You need to acknowledge those feelings and then use your favorite methods for chasing them away. Suggestions include: exercising venting to a friend screaming out loud (One person said she would drive all the way around the DC beltway screaming so as not to…

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My Opinion On: Unemployment Boot Camp by R.A. Long

March 31, 2015 Admin Annie Comments 1 comment

I loved the first part of Unemployment Boot Camp: Tactics for Surviving and Thriving in the 21st Century as Long described working for a company that was laying people off in waves. Her humor about a situation that “causes you to reach heights of paranoia the likes of which you haven’t experienced since junior high” made me laugh and her observations rang true to me. The second half of the book was more matter of fact. Here is what you…

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My Unemployment Story: Unemployment is No Joke

March 27, 2015 Admin Annie Comments 4 comments

I lost my job with IBM in September 2013. It was not personal. IBM needed to “realign their resources (people) to be more effective.” That’s corporate-speak for pushing people out the door because the company doesn’t want them or can’t afford them any more. How did I feel when I heard that I was losing my job? Shocked. I didn’t see that one coming. Several years of layoffs had taught me that IBM might layoff anyone, regardless of their abilities,…

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My opinion on: The UP Side of Down by Megan McArdle

March 26, 2015 Admin Annie Comments 0 Comment

One of the basic premises of The UP Side of Down is that we need to stop expecting things to always go smoothly and well. There are some great examples of success comes from those who are unafraid to jump in and make mistakes. This is an important point and something I agree with. I know as a parent I hated to see my children experience disappointment. But if you never experience the sting of disappointment as a child, what…

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Our Background Images

March 22, 2015 Admin Annie Comments 0 Comment

You might wonder what scenes of mountains, lakes, ducks or flowers have to do with unemployment. I chose these background images for two reasons. 1) I know I can’t turn Unemploymentville into a glamorous, fun-filled destination. At the risk of repeating myself, this ain’t Disney World and it never will be. BUT…. I want your stay or visit to Unemploymentville to be as pleasant as possible. Odds are you are currently feeling stressed and depressed. Why not surround yourself as…

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